The Duellists

Description
A duel between two feuding Napoleonic officers D'Hubert and Feraud eventually evolves into a 16-year-old series of violent sword and pistol duels, after each bout, for various reasons, ends unresolved.

Scott's approach to his material seems essentially a stylistic one; it imposes itself upon the story rather than visa-versa, giving an account of the Napoleonic wars that lacks passion and depth, despite the expert visuals.

The film comes closer to working than it has any right to, given the curious casting (Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel) and director Ridley Scott's inability to sustain dramatic tension or build a coherent scene.